Broadcasters Score Court Victory Over Aereo

Broadcasters have scored their first legal victory over the online video service Aereo, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reports that the company was handed an injunction by a federal court in Utah.

The injunction bars Aereo from running its service in the U.S. Tenth Circuit’s region, which includes Utah, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho, the story reports. The judge ruled that Aereo’s service is violating the copyrights of the broadcasters.

“The plain language of the 1976 Copyright Act supports the plaintiffs’ position,” the judge wrote in an order, according to the story. The order adds: “Aereo’s retransmission of plaintiffs’ copyrighted programs is indistinguishable from a cable company.”

Aereo founder and Chief Executive Chet Kanojia said the company was disappointed with the court’s decision.

“Consumers have a fundamental right to watch over-the-air broadcast television via an antenna and to record copies for their personal use,” Kanojia said in a statement. “We are very sorry for the effect on our valued customers in the Tenth Circuit and we will pursue all available remedies to restore their ability to use Aereo.”

The decision comes before the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue in April, the piece notes.